Massaging



J. s. LEFEVRE MASAGING BELT Filed April 1:5, 1925 i I l l I ll H I II II II H H 0 00 000 00 0000 00000000000000 0 00 000000 one 00 o 00 0000 000 0000 o oo o oo oooooo 00000 no 0000006 c 0 e30 o o oo 00 0 0 D g C000 c o o o 0 0 O O ogcg 000 o 00 Q 080 00 ago 0 0 0C 00 o 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n 0 0 6 0 O0 300 O O O 0 00 O O O O 3 00 0 0 OC 0 6 0 0 U O 0 O o c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 070 O 0 J O O O O O O 000 0 0 0 02020 000 O O O O00 000 O0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0% 0 0 0 0 0 0 0% 02 O Q 0 oc co oo oo o 0o 1 o o o o o o o o o 0 0 0 0 aw 00000000000000 0 oo 00 00000 0000 0 00 00000 00 0000 D o oo oo oo o oo o 000 /000 00000 00 0000 000 000 o 000 0000 0000 000000000 00 O0 O0 0 O 0 000 O 0000 000000000 0000 000000000 0 000000000 0 O 0 0O 0 O 0 0 A 0 M w awn Roz JOHN 5. LEFE VRE.

JOHN STEECE LEFEVRE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MASSAGING BELT.

Application filed. April 13, 1925. 7 Serial No. 22,635.

The present invention relates to massaging belts an object of which is to provide body encircling means constantly impinging against and massaging the flesh to relieve corpulent conditions.

Other objects of the invention are to provide belts which may be used around the chest or bust and abdomen and are suitably formed to adhere to the body and to flex with m movements of the latter; to provide elastic belts equipped with elastic studs automatically movable over the surfaces of the body to constantly massage the fiesh and retain the belt proper, spaced from the body to 5 permit free circulation of air and free eX- udation of the diaphresis; to provide body encircling massaging meansthe effective area of which is predetermined in order to vigorously massage parts of the body in which the corpulence or adipose tissue is most prevalent and to gradually reduce the massaging effect on the less corpulent parts of the body; to provide massage belts which may be used advantageously by either sex and is so constructed that vital organs of the body will not be harmed by use of the belts; and to provide elastic belts which automatically conform to the contours of the body and are held in a predetermined position.

It is of course well known in the art to provide reducing belts, girdles, corsets, etc. but it has been found that in a great many instances these devices are impractical and very often injurious. This is principally due to the fact that elastic belts, which have proven the most practical, from a commercial standpoint, to relieve obesity or corpulence, are injurious because they adhere closely to the flesh and do not permit the body excretions to be carried away as they exude through the pores and hence the belt forms a habitat for the waste substances. Furthermore, the belts now commonly used for this purpose do not give a massaging efi'ect and hence there is no mechanical agency to relieve adipose tissue. The present invention is, therefore, designed to provide a device which effectively massages the flesh, permits a free circulation of air beneath the belt and allows the pores to function in a normal manner.

Numerous other objects of this invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, where- 1n:

Fig. 1 is an inside elevation of an abdominal encircling massage belt constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same; and

Fig. 3 is an inside elevational view of a chest or bust encircling massage belt constructed in accordance with the present invention.

The present invention consists of a pair of belts generally designated A and B for use on the abdomen and chest or bust respectively.

The belt A consists of a substantially oblong body 4 which is preferably made of pure rubber and has a multiplicity of studs or teats 5 formed on one face thereof. These studs are densely grouped at a point midway the ends of the belt except for a clearance extending transversely across the belt which provides a channel 6 adapted to re ceive a reinforcing strip 7 which has a fabric strip 8 superimposed thereon. The fabric 8 is adapted to overlie the uml ilicus so that the studs will not come in contact therewith. Moreover, the reinforcing strip 7 taken in connection with reinforcing means 9 mounted on the opposite face of the belt will serve to reinforce the latter and prevent buckling or distortion of the marginal edges thereof. The reinforcing means 9 may consist of a pair of superposed rubber or fabric plies having stifiening elements such as stays 10. It will be noted that the studs 5 gradually diminish in length toward the terminals of the belt and moreover becomes sparser toward said terminals so that a vigorous massaging action willbe caused by the belt only at a point approximately midway the ends of the l-atter, the massaging action being relatively decreased toward the terminals of the belt. Consequently, the abdomen only is subjected to vigorous massaging.

The opposite terminals of the belt are equipped with stiffening strips generally designated 11 each of which may comprise superposed strips having one or more stays embedded therein, the strips being vulcanized or otherwise fixedly secured to the ends of the belt. These. strips are adapted to be equipped with suitable means for securing the same together, in the present instance lace eyelets 12 being shown.

It will be noted in Fig. 1 of the drawings that a substantially semi-circular depression 13 is formed in the lower marginal edge of the belt to prevent contact of the latter with the tubes. Consequently the belt is capable of a massaging action over the abdomen practically down to the thighswithout clan: ger of harmful results and without bemg uncomfortable.

The belt may be secured from. upward movement in any manner such, for instance, as by mountingtabs lionthelower portionof the belt which may be secured to a garment of the wearer or, which may be equipped with garters for secureinent to. the

stockings in a manner well knownn in'. the art Thev bustgorchest mpinging belt B is likewise shown in the present. instance to be of oblong configuration vand. is made .of.

pure rubber and equipped with studs; or teats 5 whichare densely grouped at a point midway the ends of the belt and become sparser toward thetc rminals. Moreover, these studs may gradually diminish n length toward the terminals of thebeltthe same as the studs 5 shown in Fig. :2. It. is

preferred, however, to omit the central reinforcingmeans from this form ofv belt,

for manifest reasons. The possibility of the.

beltbuekling or being distorted is not very likely because of its-being relatively narrow in width. Furthermore, the ends of the belt. are equipped with reinforcing strips One of thesestrips is provided with eyes 16 and the other with hooks 18. pro iding means for securing these strips together. It is, of course, to beyunderstood that the belt may be seeuredinQther manners.

Although the studs or teats 5 and 5 are shown in the present instance to have the outer terminals thereof flat, nevertheless these can be. otherwise shaped if so des red.

However, experiments have shown that the flat studs are more beneficial in procuring the results herein set forth although insome cases rounded or pointed studs maytbe preferred. Moreover, the arrangement'of the studs herein setforth permits vigorous massaging'onlv on the front 'of the body with a relatively lighter massaging on the sides and no massaging action provided for in the back. It is, of? course, understood that the device is applicable likewise for massaging the back by very slight modification.

W'here both the bust or chest and abdominal belts are used it is preferred to con 'nect the two together to prevent relative movement thereof. Thesemay be connected in any desired manner but in the present instance -I have shown hooks 17 mounted to extend above the upper margin of the abdominal belt which are adapted to engage eyes 18 extended, beyond the lower margin of thevchest or bust belt B. The eyelets 18 may be secured to the belt B in any desired manner such, for instance, as, by the employment of tabs 19.

In use it is understood alsothat the belts A;and Banay be used singly or together. In view ofthe inherent elasticity of these belts the possibility oftheir slipping up orldown .on the body is unlikely even without the use 'of means forsecuring the same sucli= as, herein shown. Notwithstanding that inherent elasticity, the studs keep-the belt proper spaced from the body which, in addition to the therapeutical value thereof also renders the belt less inconvenient to wear.

What is claimed is 1. A massaging belt, consisting of a body encircling member, said member including protrusions densely grouped at a point between the ends of said member and gradual-- ly taperingtoward said ends.

2. A.massaging belt including a rubber belt equippedwith studs densely grouped on an intermediate part of the belt, and reinforcing means dividing said studs.

A massaging belt including a rubber belt adapted to encircle the body and equipped with studs densely grouped on an intermediate part of the belt and gradually tapered toward the ends of the latter.

4. A device ofv the character described including an elastic belt equipped with outstanding elements on one face having relatively flat surfaces and gradually tapering in length. toward theopposite ends of the belt and reinforcing means mounted on said belt a part of which eXtendsthrough said studs midway the. ends of the belt.

In testimony whereof. I ailix' my signature. 

